In this Booker Prize-nominated book, two people’s fates intertwine across continents and years, race, country, and class. Sonia’s loneliness comes as a result of her being a homesick writer living in Vermont. The relationship she develops with an older male artist will curse her for years to come. And Sunny’s loneliness is similarly sourced: he is also originally from India and is having a hard time understanding his American girlfriend. Then Sonia’s and Sunny’s families arrange for them to meet, and it’s so awkward and clumsy that it may drive the two away from each other before they’ve even given the thought of them a chance.

Fantasy! Romance! Historical Fiction! Found family! Gorgeous art! Venessa Vida Kelley’s dreamy debut When the Tides Held the Moon has something for everyone. Puerto Rican blacksmith Benny is tasked with building a giant glass tank. When he delivers it to the 1910s Coney Island carnival sideshow that commissioned it, he realizes it was constructed for a real merman captured from the East River. And when he falls in love with that merman, Benny realizes he’s constructed his prison and now must find a way to help him escape. The ensemble cast of “human curiosities” and Vida Kelley’s vivid illustrations make this story truly shine. —Susie Dumond

This brilliant literary romance is a powerful reminder that Black country artists have always been here. One-hit-wonder Luke is honored to open for his idol, 90’s superstar JoJo Lane, at her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But he’ll have to confront his complicated past, because the concert is being held in his and JoJo’s small hometown in Arkansas. Luke was close to JoJo’s daughter, August, until a shocking betrayal ripped them apart and jump-started his career. As Luke, August, and JoJo grapple with their complicated relationships to the music industry, a new love song takes shape. It’s fantastic in any format, but I recommend the full-cast audiobook. —Susie Dumond

The illustrations in this 500-plus page collection of Greek myth retellings are art deco-y and gorgeous. Fry takes us all up and over the ancient Greek mythos—from Mount Olympos to the Underworld, and through every tragic romance and story of trifling gods.

A perfectly blended family drama with a past and present missing person’s mystery that sinks readers into a small town by the Salton Sea. I was equally invested in Mal and her family—from her mother blaming her for her sister’s disappearance when they were in high school to Mal keeping the father of her teen daughter’s identity a secret—and finding out what happened to the missing women, then and now. Throw in nightmares about a horse-headed woman, a politician brother aligned with the rich, and a race to find another missing person, and this atmospheric mystery is all-absorbing. Bonus: Victoria Villarreal is an excellent audiobook narrator. —Jamie Canaves

As someone who has read many manga and watched many anime, it’s always cool to see the food that’s being talked about in the stories. Delicious Japanese Street Eats gets bonus points for being full of personable photography and illustrations. Reading it makes me feel like I’m being gently guided through Japan’s best street food spots.

I ADORE Julie Turshen’s Simply Julia. It’s a cookbook that saw me through part of the pandemic and encouraged me to think of the food I eat in new ways. What Goes With What is Turshen’s newest cookbook that helps home cooks figure out what ingredients to pair together to create delicious dishes.

With her trusty ingredient charts in hand, Turshen walks readers through ideas around how and why people pair oils with greens or pair proteins for salads with liquids for braises. In between her many recipe ideas, she writes mini essays about her relationship with food, farming, and sourcing ingredients. My stars! I can’t get enough! —Kendra Winchester

I’ve tried this voice note recorder, and it’s pretty dope. I’d say it’s for people who want to annotate more, but feel like they sometimes get bogged down in the wordiness of their notes. It may also make note-taking more accessible. With this recorder, you write a number down in your book (near the place you want to talk about), program that number into the recorder (it’s easy), then record whatever you want to say about that part of the book. Later, you can replay the note by pressing the corresponding number. There is also a kids’ version that I think could make reading time with the littles even more enriching.